Thursday, July 29, 2010

The Boston Celtics have signed Von Wafer for the next season. The 24-year-old guard, who has agreed to a one-year deal for the minimum salary, played briefly last season for the Dallas Mavericks with a 10-day contract, after an unsuccessful stint in Greece, with Olympiakos, where he just appeared in six games

Michael Jordan will continue his career in Germany. The 32-year-old American guard (not related with the Hall-of-Famer player) has reached to an agreement with Mitteldeutscher BC for the next season. Jordan played last season for Phoenix Hagen, averaging 8.9 points and 2.3 rebounds per game in the BBL.

Okapi Aalstar has officially announced the signing of Christopher Copeland, who will play next season for the Belgian team. The 26-year-old American forward was one of the best scorers in Germany last season, averaging 16.8 points and 4.6 rebounds per game in the BBL during his second year in TBB Trier.

Jason Collins is back to the Atlanta Hawks. The 31-year-old center has agreed to re-sign with the NBA franchise, where he arrived last summer. Collins, just saw action in 24 games in the 2009-10 season, averaging 0.7 points and 0.4 rebounds in 4.8 minutes per game.

Polpharma Starogard has landed a new import player, signing Deonta Vaughn. The 24-year-old American guard will start his career in the Polish team, after playing during the last four seasons in the University of Cincinnati. In his senior year with the Bearcats, Vaughn averaged 11.7 points and 3.5 assists per game.

As expected, Banca Tercas Teramo and Virtus Bologna have reached to an agreement for Giuseppe Poeta. The 25-year-old Italian guard will leave Teramo after four seasons in the Italian club to join Virtus. Poeta, who turned down several offers from Spanish teams to join his new team, averaged 10.8 points and 4.4 assists per game in the last Lega A.

Nizhny Novgorod has officially announced the signing to a three-year contract of Artem Yakovenko. The 22-year-old forward is back to his former team, where he played at the start of the last season. Yakovenko moved in January to Krasnye Krylia, averaging 1.2 points and 1.5 rebounds per game in the Russian Super League.

Vladimir Golubovic could play next season in Turkey. Banvit is close to sign the 24-year-old Slovenian forward, who would arrive to the Turkish team after helping Caja Laboral to win the last ACB league. The former player of Union Olimpija landed in the Spanish club from Union Olimpija, averaging 2.0 points and 1.3 rebounds per game.

Despite the reported interest from Aris Thessaloniki, Giannis Kalabokis will continue his career in the recently promoted team Ikaros Esperos. The Greek club has reached to a two-year agreement with the 31-year-old guard, who will arrive to Ikaros after three years in Panionios, averaging 11.9 points and 2.8 rebounds per game in the last Greek A1 league.

Despite the huge interest to land Derrick Caracter, Hapoel Jerusalem is also considering alternatives to the 22-year-old American center, who has other offers from European teams. The Israeli club is now targeting Leon Williams, a 24-year-old American-Belizean forward who averaged 15.7 points and 9.2 rebounds per game in the last TBL for Erdemirspor.

As expected, Daniel Hackett is a new player of Scavolini Pesaro. The Italian club has announced the signing to a two-year contract of the 22-year-old Italian-American, who played last season for Benetton Treviso. Hackett averaged 4.0 points and 1.8 rebounds per game during his first year as a professional in the Lega A.

BC Khimik has announced two new players for the next season. The Ukrainian team has officially announced the signing of Lance Allred and Toni Bizaca. Allred, a 29-year-old American forward, known as the first legally player in the NBA history, arrives from the D-League, where he averaged 13.0 points and 9.0 rebounds last season. The other new acquisition of Khimik, Bizaca, arrives from the Croatian A1 league. The 27-year-old Croatian forward averaged 21.0 points and 6.3 rebounds per game for Trogir ZP.

Eddie House will continue his career in the Miami Heat. The NBA franchise has signed the 32-year-old guard to a two-year, $2.8 million contract. House arrives to his new team after finishing last season in the New York Knicks, where he landed from the Boston Celtics via trade on February, averaging 6.4 points and 2.1 assists per game.

Kevin Seraphin will play for the next two seasons in the NBA. The 20-year-old French center has reached to a buy-out agreement with his former team, Cholet Basket, to sign a two-year, $2.7 million contract with the Washington Wizards. Seraphin, who averaged 6.0 points and 4.2 rebounds per game last season, was selected with the 17th overall pick in the last NBA draft.

Sakalai has made two new signings. The Lithuanian team has landed Zydrunas Stankus and Edvinas Jezukevicius. Stankus, a 32-year-old forward, is back to his country after playing last season in the French ProB league for Chalons-Reims, while Jezukevicius, a 20-year-old center, arrives from the NKL team Akademija Vilnius.

Enisey Krasnoyarsk has announced two new acquisitions. The Russian team has signed Dragan Labovic to a one-year contract. The 23-year-old Serbian forward arrives from Deutsche Bank Skyliners, where he was playing since last February. Labovic averaged 8.6 points and 3.2 rebounds per game in the BBL. The other new player of Enisey is Pavel Sergeev, from BC Triumph. The 23-year-old guard, who averaged 9.3 points and 4.2 assists per game last season, was signed to a two-year contract.

As expected, Taurean Green is the new point guard of Gran Canaria 2014. The 24-year-old American-Georgian guard was signed by the Spanish team to a two-year contract. Green, who averaged 15.3 points and 3.5 assists in the last Greek A1 league for AEK Athens, will be back to Spain, where he played in the 2008-09 season for CAI Zaragoza.

Trefl Sopot has made a new acqusition. The Polish team has signed Giedrus Gustas for the next season. The Lithuanian 30-year-old guard arrives to his new team after playing last season in Greece for Kavala, where he averaged 6.2 points and 0.8 assists per game in the A1 league.

The Artland Dragons have officially announced the signing to a one-year contract of Leo Niebuhr. The 24-year-old guard will be back to the Dragons, where he played in the 2008-09 season. Niebuhr moved last summer to the German Pro A team Giants Noerdlingen, averaging 6.9 points and 4.5 rebounds per game.

Jeremy Tyler will continue his professional career in Japan. After an unsuccesful season in Israel for Maccabi Haifa, the 19-year-old American forward was signed by the Tokyo Apache, which also hired recently the former NBA coach Bob Hill. Tyler was considered one of the most interesting prospects in the United States before his moving to Israel.

Nacho Martín will play next season in the city he was born 27-years-ago. As expected, Blancos de Rueda Valladolid has officially announced the signing of Martín to a one-year contract. The Spanish forward played last season on loan from CB Granada for CAI Zaragoza, averaging 6.1 points and 3.3 rebounds per game.

As expected, Rafa Huertas has become a new player of Menorca Bàsquet. The recently promoted team has signed the 25-year-old guard to a two-year contract. Huertas arrives to Menorca after playing since 2007 in the Spanish LEB Oro for Melilla Baloncesto, averaging 9.3 points and 2.3 rebounds per game last season.

Naccabi Tel Aviv is trying to land Pops Mensah-Bonsu. The Israeli club is reported to have offered to the 26-year-old British center $500.000 dollars for the next season. Mensah-Bonsu is a free agent after being released by CSKA Moscow a month ago, after averaging 4.1 points and 1.3 rebounds per game in the last Euroleague.

Malik Hairston will continue his career in Italy. Montepaschi Siena has officially announced the signing of the 23-year-old American guard to a two-year contract. Hairston arrives to the current Italian champion after playing during since 2008 for the San Antonio Spurs, being assigned to the D-League team, the Austin Toros, several times. Last season, Hairston averaged 2.1 points and 1.0 rebounds per game for the Spurs

David Hawkins could be back to Armani Jeans Milano. The Italian club has made an offer for the 27-year-old American guard, who averaged 12.0 points and 2.2 rebounds per game in the last Lega A for Montepaschi Siena. Hawkins played in Armani Jeans in the 2009-10 season.

Claudio Sabatini, president of Virtus Bologna, confirmed that Giuseppe Poeta is close to become the new point guard of the Italian club. The 24-year-old Italian guard, who has played for Banca Tercas Teramo since 2006, had also offers from Spanish teams for the next season.

Anton Gavel will continue his career in Brose Baskets Bamberg, where he landed last season. The 25-year-old Slovak guard has agreed to extend his contract for two more seasons. Gavel averaged 10.0 points and 2.1 assists per game in the last BBL, helping his team to win the German championship.

Mario Kasun could go back to Croatia next sesaon. The 30-year-old center, a free agent after being released by Efes Pilsen weeks ago, could have agreed to a one-year deal with KK Zagreb. Kasun, who played for the last time in Croatia during the 1999-2000 season, averaged 8.2 points and 4.5 rebounds per game in the last TBL.

Finally, Mario Fernández could be announced soon as the new signing of CB Granada for the next season. The 26-year-old guard, who was also on the radar of Baloncesto Fuenlabrada, arrives to his new team after playing last season for DKV Joventut, where he averaged 2.7 points and 2.6 rebounds per game in the ACB league.

Finally, Nemanja Bjelica will likely play next season for Caja Laboral. The 22-year-old Serbian forward could be close to reach to an agreement with the Spanish club, and the official announcement could arrive soon. Caja Laboral would have extended better offers to Bjelica and to Benetton Treviso, the current owner of his rights in Europe, than the other contender Olympiakos. The Greek team, according to the Spanish media, would have already reactivated the option of Alan Anderson, who was reported to have an agreement with Olympiakos days ago. Dusan Ivkovic, though, is still confident about the chances of his team to land Bjelica.

Finally, Guillem Rubio could move next season to Power Electronics Valencia. The 27-year-old forward played last season for Unicaja, where he avearged 3.1 points and 1.8 rebounds per game. Rubio is currently in talks with his team to terminate his contract, and would sign a two or three-year contract with Valencia when the deal with Unicaja gets done.

Maxi Stanic is now the main target of Blancos de Rueda Valladolid for the next season. The 31-year-old Argentinian-Italian guard played last season for Xacobeo Blu:sens, averaging 7.4 points and 5.2 assists per game last season. Both parts have been in talks during the last days.

Cajasol is considering alternatives for Louis Bullock, the main target of the team, but still undecided about his future. The main candidates are the 32-year-old American guard Jimmie Hunter, in CB Granada since 2008, and the 24-year-old American guard Chris Lofton, who finished last season in Asefa Estudiantes.

As expected, Bobby Jones will play next season for Sutor Montegranaro. The Italian club has officially announced the signing of the 26-year-old American forward. Jones, a former NBA player, arrives to Montegranaro after averaging 11.2 points and 3.8 rebounds per game in the last Lega A, during his first season in Europe.

The Miami Heat have officially announced that they have re-signed Kenny Hasbrouck. The 23-year-old guard started his professional career last February in the D-League with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, before being called up by the Heat a month later, becoming the first player of the University of Siena to ever be signed by an NBA team, though he hasn't made his debut yet.

Maccabi Ashdod has a new coach for next season. The recently promoted Israeli club has hired Omer Aharoni to take the reign of the team. The 37-year-old coach arrives Ashdod after working as an assistant for Dan Shamir in Bnei Hasharon. His first experience as a head coach was in the 2007-08 season, after his retirement as a player, for Maccabi Givat Shmuel.

According to the Memphis newspaper The Commercial Appeal, Lorenzen Wright could have been found dead in the southeast of the American city. The 34-year-old NBA player was missing since July 19. Wright played from 1996 to 2009 in the NBA, averaging 8.0 points and 6.4 rebounds per game in 778 games as a professional.

Energa Czarni has signed a new import player for the next season. The Polish team has landed Jerel Blassingame, a 28-year-old American guard. Blassingame arrives to Poland after playing last season for BC Odessa, averaging 14.4 points and 6.4 assists per game in the Ukrainian Super League.

Bobby Jones is the new target of Sutor Montegranaro for the next season. The 26-year-old American forward played last season for Banca Tercas Teramo, averaging 11.2 points and 3.8 rebounds per game in the Lega A. That was the first stint of Jones in Europe, after playing between 2006 and 2009 for several NBA and D-League teams.

Vasilis Fragias is the new head coach of Ilisiakos, as the Greek club has announced. Fragias, who was signed to a one-year contract, arrives to Ilisiakos after coaching last season HSBC Pagrati in the A2 league, leading his team to the 3rd place, and will replace Stergios Koufos.